The NAPT was started in 2010 by PokerStars, then the largest online poker cardroom in the world.

[2] Players were able to enter the NAPT events by paying the entry fee or by playing online poker freeroll satellites on the PokerStars.net domain.

On April 15, 2011, along with similar competitors' sites, Pokerstars.com was seized and shut down by U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, which alleged it was in violation of federal bank fraud and money laundering laws.

As of February 13, 2012, the NAPT website, and information on remaining events for Season 2, has not been updated since the April 15, 2011 seizure.

On August 30, 2023, PokerStars announced that the North American Poker Tour would return to the US with a stop in Las Vegas, Nevada, in November.